


Codename: Swan

by FrankenSpine



Series: Scarytales [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Bittersweet, Chaos, Cyborgs, Death, Destruction, F/F, Machines, One Shot, Re-upload, Robots, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Time Travel, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 03:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankenSpine/pseuds/FrankenSpine
Summary: “Swan” is a cybernetic mercenary sent from the distant future to an ancient past in order to assassinate the tyrannical Empress who has ruled the land with an iron fist for five centuries.*Re-uploaded under my new pseud*





	Codename: Swan

Long ago, it was said that the world was green and blooming with life, but now, in the present, there was only a cold, chrome wasteland where nothing grew. Nothing lived. Everything just _died,_ but if you were lucky enough, you survived a little longer than the next guy. Humanity was on the brink of extinction. The Evil Empress and her army of androids dominated what was left of the Human race with fear and bloodshed.

Most humans were kept as slaves, and for their obedience, they were spared, though many (if not all) of them prayed for the End. Those not enslaved either became a part of the Resistance, or they were simply vaporized by the ruthless androids. As time passed, the Rebels were able to overpower the androids and used the salvaged pieces of the machines to upgrade their wounded allies, turning them into powerful warriors, caught somewhere between man and machine.

One such warrior was called ‘Swan.’ She bore a head of gold and piercing green eyes, cold and calculating. She was among the strongest of all the Rebels, so there was no question as to why the Empress wanted her captured. What wasn’t so clear was why the Empress wanted her brought in _alive._ Regardless, when the Resistance discovered a way to travel back in time, they opted to send Swan.

Her mission was clear: _eliminate the Empress. Save Humanity._

The time disk on her metallic chest would send her approximately five-hundred years into the past, before all of this chaos began. She only had one shot. There would be no do-overs. No second chances. She was to kill the Empress and return to the future. If she failed, the world was doomed. The fate of her people rested in her capable hands.

Just as she activated the disk, a swirling, green vortex appeared, and Swan was immediately dragged into it. Unfortunately, one of the Empress’ androids was able to get through as well. Her eyes widened in utter horror. There was never just_ one_ android. They were like roaches. If you saw one, there were hundreds more nearby.

She heard the screams and the gunshots, but the force of the vortex was too powerful. She was unable to go back and help them, but if she completed her mission, then there was still a chance for her to save them.

Before she knew it, Swan was hitting the ground roughly. She gasped when the android nearly fell on her, but rolled away just in time to avoid being crushed. The portal closed just after the android fell out of it, and Swan jumped to her feet, aiming her gun at the ruthless machine as it slowly rose up.

**“Surrender,”** it said in its deep, monotone voice, **“Come peacefully, and no harm will befall you.” **

Swan grit her teeth in rage. “Not gonna happen!” she cried as she shot it square in the dome.

She shot it again, and then a third and fourth time. It collapsed with a deafening _CRASH!_ Swan tore the android’s chest open and removed its power core so that it wouldn’t reactivate. She then implanted the core into her metallic chest cavity, as hers was beginning to run out of energy, and she needed the backup.

It was then and only then that she finally examined her surroundings. It was strange, yet breathtaking. There was green grass and dirt and trees all around, things she had only ever seen in pictures, which failed to do them justice. What was even more beautiful was the bright blue sky with the warm sun overhead.

In the future, the sky was red with the blood of the fallen, and the sun was forever hidden behind black clouds. Worse yet, it was never warm where she came from. There was only a haunting, bitter cold that sent an ever-present chill down her bionic spine.

_“You there!”_ came a voice, _“Who are you? And from what realm do you hail?” _

Swan looked to find an armored man with a long spear aimed at her. She stared at him with an unreadable expression. He was visibly afraid, and she couldn’t quite blame him. He was a primitive man from a primitive time. He did not understand what he was seeing, and what he did not understand, he feared.

“I said ‘who are you?!’” the man shouted.

“I am called _Swan._ I come to bring an end to a great Evil.”

The man kept his eyes on her, but pointed his spear at the broken android. “And what of this armored man you have so ruthlessly decapitated?”

“That is no man,” Swan said coldly, “It is a monster— and now it is no more.”

“A demon, then?” The man relaxed, withdrawing his spear. “Are you a Goddess, oh brave one, with your peculiar armor?”

“No,” said Swan, “This isn’t armor.” She paused a moment, staring down at the mangled android. “And where I come from, there are no gods. Only devils.”

“Bless you, Devil Slayer!” said the man, “Bless you! May the light of the gods shine upon you forevermore!”

“What’s your name?” Swan asked him.

The man brought a hand to his chest. “I am Sir Morgan,” he said.

“So you are a knight?”

“Indeed I am. I serve Her Majesty.”

“The Empress?”

Sir Morgan nodded. “The one and only.”

“Will you take me to her?”

“Of course! Come, Devil Slayer, this way!”

“Just call me Swan.”

“Apologies, Swan,” said the knight, “Your bravery is truly worth celebrating. I am certain the Empress would be delighted to have you as her guest of honor!”

“And why is that?”

“Because my fellow knights and I witnessed your glorious descent from the Green Mist, and it was a most spectacular sight!”

Soon, they came upon a group of other armored men, all staring at Swan in awe. Never had they seen a woman donning armor, nor had they seen a woman so beautiful (aside from the Empress, of course). What truly amazed them was the way her armor was built. It wasn’t bulky or heavy like theirs. In fact, it almost appeared to be like a second skin, the way it covered her petite body.

“Come, friends!” shouted Sir Morgan, “Let us take the great Devil Slayer to Her Majesty so that we may celebrate!”

The others cheered, but Swan remained stoic. She was in no mood to celebrate. She would do so only when the Empress was dead and cold before her. Then she would return to her own time, and all would be well.

* * *

This couldn’t be right. This timid young woman, barely a day over twenty, couldn’t possibly have been the tyrant from Swan’s time. She spoke softly, and without confidence. Even addressing the handful of knights in her own dining hall made her shake like a leaf, and her voice shook, as well. She was truly a frail young thing. She was as fearsome as a sheep, nothing at all like the merciless ruler Swan knew.

“L-Ladies and gentlemen,” the young Empress said nervously, “I would like to w-welcome you here today for this m-magnificent celebration, in honor of this— this _brave heroine_ who fell from the Heavens in a whirlwind of divine light. P-Please give a round of applause for the Devil Slayer, Swan.”

The room erupted with applause, but still, Swan remained stoic. She scanned the room for signs of danger and found that there were not nearly enough guards to protect their beloved Empress. Once the clapping died down, Swan was quiet for a moment.

“The honor is mine,” she said stiffly.

The others tore into their meals, but Swan did not touch so much as a crumb. As a cyborg, her body did not require food. She looked around once more, only this time, she spotted an old man in the far corner of the room. He had shoulder-length hair and his dark eyes were narrowed at her in suspicion.

Swan knew she would need to keep an eye on him, lest he ruin her chances of fulfilling her duty. She would kill the Empress. Just not yet. Not here. Not with all these people stealing glances at her. She needed time, and by the looks of things, she had plenty of it.

When the feast was over, the Empress agreed to meet with Swan for council, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to kill the woman, but she was surrounded by armed guards, and Swan needed to get her alone. That was when an idea began to form in Swan’s mind.

“Your Majesty,” said Swan, “I have reason to believe you are in danger. That monster I killed was after you, and where there is one, there are many. They are like parasites. Relentless, deadly parasites who will not stop until everything in their path is destroyed. Perhaps a better name for them is ‘plague.’ With your permission, I would like to join your knights so that I may protect you from these monsters.”

“What are they, Swan? Demons?”

“I suppose that’s one way to put it. They are called androids, beings made entirely out of metal. They aren’t really alive, but they aren’t dead, either.”

“Then how can they be killed?”

“Not killed,” said Swan, “Only _destroyed.” _

“How is it that you know so much about these ‘androids?’” asked the Empress, “I have never seen nor heard of such things.”

“Take a good, long look at me,” Swan told her, “This armor of mine? It isn’t armor. Well, not all of it, anyway. I was, shall we say, _cursed.”_

“Cursed how?”

“Cursed to become this enigma,” said Swan, “My body is a crude blend of flesh and steel.”

She removed her breastplate, revealing the metallic exoskeleton beneath it. Her breasts and stomach were mechanical, and only her right arm was made of flesh and bone. The left was entirely bionic. It was, for the lack of a better term, _horrific—_ especially to those standing before her.

“She is a demon!” cried one of the knights, “And we have celebrated her!”

“No,” Swan said firmly as she strapped her armor back on, “I am a _cyborg.”_

“A— cyborg?” the Empress asked, frowning a bit.

“A cybernetic organism,” said Swan, “A cross between a Human and an android.”

“Leave us,” ordered the Empress, “I wish to speak with Swan in private.”

One of the knights started to protest. “But, Your Majesty—”

“I said _leave us,”_ the brunette said with much more confidence than she actually felt.

The knight just bowed his head. “Yes, Empress.”

Once everyone else was gone and the door was closed, the Empress looked into Swan’s eyes as if searching for something. She was left feeling uneasy when she found nothing. No light. No life. Just an emptiness found only in the dull eyes of corpses.

“Are you like them, Swan? Neither alive nor dead?” the Empress murmured.

“The Human in me is alive,” Swan told her, “The androids are all machine. They are incapable of reason or mercy. Their only objective is to seek and destroy. They do what their creator tells them.”

“Who is their creator? Some kind of sorcerer?”

“No,” said Swan. She stepped closer to the Empress. _“Worse,”_ she rasped.

The young Empress looked at her with uncertainty. “Another demon?”

“Something like that.”

Swan froze when the brunette’s hands came up to caress her face, and she knew in that moment that killing this woman would be easier said than done. She would have no trouble taking the Empress’ young life physically, but emotionally, it would be quite draining.

“Your flesh is cold,” said the Empress, “Do my hands warm you?”

“Only a bit,” whispered Swan.

Against her better judgement, she cupped the Empress’ cheek with her metallic hand, quickly doing the same with the other. She couldn’t believe this was the same woman who wanted her arrested in the future. What puzzled her most of all was how this woman would go on to live for five centuries. Was it magic? Maybe, maybe not, but it didn’t matter now. Soon she would be dead, and she would never become the monster Swan knew her to be.

“How strange,” said the Empress, “Your armored hand is warmer than your skin.”

Swan wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she chose to stay silent. The Empress studied her body closely, which, for one reason or another, caused her to feel a certain way. She refused to acknowledge what that feeling was.

“Do you find me beautiful, Swan?” the brunette husked, “Hm?”

“You are quite something,” Swan said stoically.

“Well, I think you are especially beautiful,” said the Empress, “Even the parts of you that aren’t quite human.” She caressed Swan’s plated shoulders, marveling over the craftsmanship. “Yes,” she rasped, “Truly a masterpiece. Perhaps your ‘curse’ is really a blessing in disguise.”

“Hardly,” muttered Swan.

“Will you do something for me?” the Empress purred.

“That depends. What is it?”

A soft smile graced the brunette’s lips. “Will you kiss me? I have never had the lips of another upon mine,” she confessed, “and I feel you are worthy of such an honor.”

“A kiss? Is that all?”

“Perhaps not,” said the Empress, “Who is to say a kiss will not lead to something more?”

“Are you telling me you’re a virgin?”

“But of course.”

“And I’m guessing you want to change that?”

“Absolutely. I want to know what pleasures await me in my marital bed.”

“You’re getting married?”

“Someday, yes,” said the Empress, “Though I doubt it will be by choice. Marriage rarely is.” She looked to Swan curiously. “Have you ever been married, Swan?”

Swan’s jaw tightened. “I almost was,” she said bitterly, “but then he was killed by an android, right in front of me.”

“What was his name?”

“Baelfire,” murmured Swan.

“I am sorry for your loss,” said the young Empress, “I, too, lost someone very dear to me. I wanted to lose my maidenhood with him, but he was a peasant, and because of our love, he was killed before me by my mother.”

This shocked the cyborg. “Your own mother?”

The Empress nodded. “Yes. She is gone now. That is why I have been named Empress.”

“You mean this is new for you?”

“Yes. I have only been Empress for a few days now. I am afraid I do not know how to rule a kingdom.”

“I could show you,” said Swan, “if you’ll let me.”

“You know how to rule? Are you royalty?”

“Royalty? No,” said Swan, “but I know an awful lot about power.”

“Well, I would love to hear any suggestions you might have,” said the Empress, “I have been in need of an advisor.”

“You would choose me? A complete stranger?”

“You may be a stranger, but you fell from the stars and slayed that metal monster without breaking so much as a sweat. You are incredible. I want you to be my advisor and personal guardian. I will have no one else but you, dear Swan.”

“Alright,” said Swan, “Will I be paid?”

“Handsomely,” the Empress assured.

Swan forced a smile and knelt down before her. “Then it would be my honor to serve you, _Your Majesty.”_

The brunette smiled. “Wonderful. I look forward to your service.”

“As I look forward to serving you,” Swan lied.

* * *

Time passed, and Swan came to realize that she just couldn’t do it. She had more than enough chances to end the young brunette’s life, but she just couldn’t bring herself to complete her macabre mission. One particular night, when the Empress was the most vulnerable, Swan still couldn’t do it. They were sleeping together, just like the Empress wanted. Swan was cupping the young woman’s face with her metallic hand and pumping her fingers into the brunette with the other.

_“Ohhh, Swan,_” the brunette breathed, “Take me, _please.” _

“You like that?”

“Gods, _yes!”_ cried the Empress.

Swan brought her lips to the young woman’s breast and sucked at the tight nipple she found there, making the brunette gasp and moan. She circled it with her warm tongue, and after a while, she began kissing her way down the Empress’ smooth, taut stomach. Soon, she was lapping greedily between the woman’s glistening thighs.

_What are you doing, Swan? You’re supposed to kill her, not fuck her! Get your shit together! The fate of the world is at stake! _

Swan’s eyes narrowed as she stared up at the Empress, who had her head thrown back, her mouth agape in a breathless cry, and her eyes squeezed shut. The beautiful brunette was trembling uncontrollably.

“I— I’m nearly there!” cried the Empress, “Please, Swan! _Please!”_

“Come for me,” Swan groaned, “Come for me, Empress.”

The Empress cried her name out in sheer ecstasy. _“SWAN!” _

That was when it was undeniable. Swan had failed in her mission. She could not kill this beautiful, sweet young woman. Had she been an android, she’d have killed the Empress in a heartbeat, but the Human in her— the voice of reason— was keeping her from fulfilling her duty. She was sent here to kill the Empress. It should have been simple, but it was an impossible task. She could no longer avoid her feelings. She had fallen for the Empress, who in five-hundred years, would have a warrant out for her arrest.

“Swan,” rasped the brunette.

“Yes?”

“I thought you should know.”

“Know what?”

“My name,” murmured the Empress, “It’s _Regina.” _

“Regina,” Swan repeated, “That’s a very beautiful name. I’m glad you told me.”

“What is your name?” Regina asked.

“It’s Swan.”

“No, I mean your true name. Surely your name isn’t _really_ ‘Swan.’”

“It is,” said the cyborg, “I don’t know what else to tell you, Regina.”

Perhaps she wouldn’t have to kill the Empress. She could spare the brunette’s life and alter the future that way. They could spend their lives together, though Emma knew that she would outlive the Empress by a few thousand years, due to her cybernetic nature.

It just couldn’t be done. At least, not willingly. Everything came crashing down when the court magician, Sir Gold, confronted Swan outside the palace one day.

_“You!”_ he hissed, “You have corrupted the Empress with your— your _filth!”_

Swan frowned. “What the hell are you talking about, old man?”

“You have made it so that she will never want to marry! She will never want to have children to succeed her!”

“That’s her business, pal,” said Swan, “I haven’t _made her_ do anything. If you have such a problem with it, then how about you take it up with her?”

“Oh, I believe I will,” said Sir Gold, “right after I deal with you!” He slammed his hand into Swan’s chest, striking the time disk.

The blonde’s eyes widened in utter horror. _“NO!”_ she screamed, _“REGINA—”_

But it was too late. She was already being dragged back through the swirling vortex from whence she came. The last thing she saw was Gold’s wicked grin as he waved at her in a mocking manner. She tried to shoot him, but end of the vortex closed before the beam could make it through.

* * *

She awoke to find herself being dragged through the streets, past the mountains of bloody corpses and severed body parts, by a pair of androids. She tried to break free, but their grip on her arms was solid, leaving her defenseless. She gasped as she looked down at the time disk on her chest. There was a huge crack down the center, and its green light had faded.

It seemed that she had landed rather hard when Gold sent her back to the future. She grit her teeth in rage. If there was any chance of her seeing that bastard again, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. The realization of her failure crept into her mind like a dark plague. She had fucked up royally. Humanity was still in peril. Nothing had changed. Not even a little. Unable to do much else, she began to weep openly. The androids remained eerily silent as they brought her into the ominous, jagged palace, built entirely from polished chrome.

Once inside, the androids all but threw her down before the metallic throne of the Evil Empress. The shadowy figure in the cloak stood from the tall throne, slowly skulking towards Swan. Large cables and wires trailed behind the hooded figure, extending from the back and sides of the chair, like it was some kind of power source.

_ “Swan,”_ came a cold yet familiar voice, _“At long last, we meet again.”_

Swan slowly raised her head, staring up at the Empress in a mix of horror, outrage, and utter disbelief. “Why?” she rasped.

“Why _what?” _

“Why did you do all this, Regina?”

The Empress reached up, revealing two metallic hands, and when she pulled back her hood, she left the cyborg speechless. Her face was almost completely mechanical. Her entire jaw and the whole left half of her head was cybernetic. Her left eye was now fiery orb glowing within a sea of darkness, yet even then, it radiated an icy demeanor. A sly smirk crept its way onto her cold lips.

“Why?” she asked, “Because, dear Swan, you swore to serve me, and when you disappeared, I vowed to spend eternity looking for you. And now, after five centuries of loneliness, I have finally found you, my beloved cyborg. I did all of this for you, Swan. I loved you then, and that love has only skyrocketed throughout the years. Don’t you see? You are the reason I brought technology into this world. I wanted to make the perfect utopia where man and machine could become one, just as you are, my love. That is why I upgraded myself. As a human, I was flawed. Fragile. Weak. The androids, strong as they are, are incapable of innovation and strategy. But putting humans and androids together? Why, it’s a dream come true, and it is one I intend to fulfill, with you by my side.” She extended her metallic hand to the speechless blonde. “What do you say, my love? Will you join me so that we may rule this world together?”

Tears slipped down Swan’s cheeks as she stared up into the cold, merciless eyes of the woman she’d once loved. “You’re a monster,” she rasped, “I loved you, Regina— I really, truly did— but this _has_ to stop!”

The Empress withdrew her hand. “You do not appreciate what I have done for you?”

“You mean _massacre Humanity?!”_ cried Swan, “It’s because of you that the world is in decay! It’s because of you that Baelfire was killed! You ruined _everything,_ Regina! I was sent to the past to kill you, and I foolishly thought that I could change things if I spared you instead! I thought I could keep you from becoming this ruthless tyrant, but obviously I was wrong! How could that sweet, beautiful girl turn into such a heartless monster?!”

“You wished to kill me?” asked the Empress. She did not seem the least bit fazed by this. “Then why don’t you finish the job, Swan? Go ahead. See how far you get before my androids rip you limb from limb.”

Swan was trembling in rage, gritting her teeth as angry tears streaked her face. “Don’t do this, Regina.”

“I’m not doing anything, dear,” Regina said stoically.

“Bullshit!” Swan snapped, “You know _exactly_ what you’re doing! Please, Regina, enough with the senseless killing!”

“I thought you would marvel over an entire planet inhabited by cyborgs, just like you— like us,” said the Empress, “Think about it, Swan. Wouldn’t it be nice, to walk among your own kind without fear of judgement or ridicule? I will find the rest of the Rebels, and I will turn them all into cyborgs, just like I have done with the palace slaves.”

“Regina, please, no more of this,” Swan begged, “I don’t want this. Any of it. Please, stop. Do whatever you want to me, but for the love of God, just _stop killing Humanity!” _

The Empress was silent for a moment. “What is your name?” she asked quietly.

“I told you five-hundred years ago, it’s Swan!”

“No,” the brunette said firmly, “What is your _true_ name? Tell me, and I will consider sparing the humans.”

“Promise me,” rasped Swan.

“You have my word,” the Empress told her.

Swan bit her lip, letting out a shaky breath. “It’s Emma,” she whispered, “My name is Emma.”

The Empress reached down, gripping the blonde by the chin, and pulled her up that way. Emma attempted to break free of the Empress’ clutch, but her efforts were in vain. Regina gripped her head firmly, turning her so that she was facing away from the throne and out into the apocalyptic wasteland beyond the shiny palace walls.

“Look closely, _Em-ma,_ at this world I have created for us,” the Empress purred, “and look at the soldiers I have made to serve us for as long as we live. I did this all for you, my darling, and now, you will watch those you love rise up from the ashes as perfect beings within this perfect utopia. You and I were always destined for greatness, my dear, and so, as the past crumbles beneath our feet, a new era shall be built atop its primitive remains.” She slammed her lips against Emma’s in a dominating kiss, and then, as she pulled away, she grinned wickedly. “May we live on forevermore, my beautiful, as the Gods of a new Eden.”

And suddenly, the world erupted into inferno.


End file.
